Improvement in processes of making artificial stone



D. M. SPRUGLE. Prhcesses of Making Artiial` Stone.

Patented May 27,1873.

Unirse NSrrrrns DANIEL M. SPROGLE, OF ANNAPOLIS, MARYLAND.`

IMPROVEMENT IN PROCESSES OF MAKING ARTIFICIAL STONE.

Specication forming part of LettersPatent No.

139,274, dated May 27, 1873; application filed October 30, 1872. r

I `l all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, DANmL M. SPROGLE, of Annapolis, in the county of Anne Arundel and State of Maryland, have invented an Improved Process for the Manufacture of Stone Articially; and I do hereby declare that the followingis a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings making part of this specication, in which- Figure 1 is a section taken vertically and longitudinally through the center of the improved apparatus. Fig. 2 is a top view of a kiln, showing a heating-pipe arranged therein.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in both figures. y

This invention relates to an improved process which is vdesigned for manufacturing stone artificially by subjecting hydraulic cement or any calcareous substance, either alone or in concrete, to the action of vapor, carbonicacid gas, and heat, thereby rendering the same very hard in a comparatively short time.

The following description of my invention will enable others skilled in the art to understand it.

In the accompanying drawing, A represents the gas-generating furnace in which carbonicacid gas is made from charcoal. This furnace is surrounded by a jacket, D, which leaves an annular chamber, a, open at its bottom but closed at its top. The dome `of the furnace has a vapor-generator, C, fittedftightly into it,

in which vapor is produced from water that is heated by the burning coals beneath. D represents a pipe which leads out of the furnace A into a purifying-tank, E, and D represents a pipe which arises from the pipe D,

and which is opened during the escape of smoke from the furnace A at the commencement of making a fire. When the re is well fall in spray into the purifier. The gas is in this way washed on its way to the kiln K. D2 is a mixing-pipe through which the gas passes into the kiln K, and N is a pipe which forms a communication between the pipe D2 andthe vapor-generator C, for the purpose of carbonatiug watery particles, and in this wayconducting the gas into the kiln `and charging the material therein. I represents another pipe which conducts steam from the generator C to a pipe-coil, P', which is arranged upon the loor of the kiln as shown in Fig. 2.` This coil P is designed for a heater for rarefying the therein. The pipe p will allow the escape of the rareed air. Instead of using steam for .heating purposes,

a pipe, which is in dotted lines, Figgl, may be employed; or, if desired,the steam `and hot-air may be used at the same time.

kiln K in a green or moist condition, which prevents it from rapidly absorbing the carbonated therein the material is `more or less .deprived of its moisture, the" -watery` particles being conducted off through the pipe p at the top of the kiln. I then allow the kilnto cool by cutting off the heat, and introduce the car-` bonated vapor, which will be rapidly absorbed by the material. When the material is thoroughly charged with the carbonated vapor I cut ol' the supply and again apply the heat, the el'ect of which is to drive olf a large quantity of the absorbed moisture from the material and to leave carbonio acid in the substance of the same. These processes are thus alternated until the material has acquired the proper degree of hardness. i

I do not claim, nor intend hereafter to claim,

tion, of the mingling of steam `or vapor with the generated carbonio-acid gas as the gas is air in the kiln and producing a circulation y n hot air taken from the chamber a by means of y' The material to be hardened is put into the watery particles. I therefore iirst apply heat -4 to the kiln, and by 'creating a circulation under this application the invention of gener.

on its way into the kiln, as the saine will be found claimed in James L. Rowlands patents, heretofore granted, and also shown in patents heretofore granted to me, andlikewise in an application iiled by me long prior to the present application; but

Having described Inyinvention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The process of making artificial stone by alternately subjecting the calcareous concretel t0 the action of carbonated vapor and a moderate degree of hea-t, substantially as described.

DANIEL M.' SPROGLE.

Witnesses:

A. L. JOHNSON, SAMUEL UocRoFr. 

